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Are alternative bedding options for sheep an option this winter?

Are alternative bedding options for sheep an option this winter?

With straw being expensive and some farmers facing challenges sourcing an adequate supply of this bedding material, could the use of alternative bedding materials be a real option this winter?

To answer this question, Dr. Liz Genever, an Independent Beef and Sheep Consultant from the UK, joined Teagasc Sheep Specialist, Ciaran Lynch on a recent episode of the Teagasc OviCast Podcast.

Discussing an on-farm trial conducted on a ~1,000-ewe flock in the Welsh Valleys, Liz outlined how bedding materials such as wheat straw, barley straw, sawdust and EnviroBed – a paper-based bedding material - performed in terms of usage, cost and ewe cleanliness.

As part of the trial conducted over the winter of 2021, ewes were batched in groups of 20 and monitored for a period of six weeks. This occurred in the period post-scanning and prior to lambing.

In terms of usage over this six-week period, Liz explained, ~350kg of wheat straw, ~300kg of barley straw, ~900kg of sawdust, and ~800kg of EnviroBed were used.

The Meat Hygiene Score - a one-to-five point scale used in abattoirs in the UK - was used to assess animal cleanliness from each bedding material. Under this scale, scores of five are best, indicating very clean sheep.

On how each product performed in terms of cleanliness, Liz said: “The sawdust performed very well to begin with and then by about week four, it started to decline and that’s probably when it reached its peak point of absorbency. That gives us thoughts as to when that has to be fully replenished.

“Both the straw systems were good, generally scoring between 3.5 and 4 over that six-week period. The EnviroBed started at ~3, so they were dirtier on that. It was noticeably dirtier than the other systems.”

Liz also outlined the costs associated with each bedding material. Wheat straw, barley straw and EnviroBed were delivered into the farmyard at respective costs of £100/t, £100/t and £186/t. Sawdust was sourced and collected from a local supplier at a cost of £20/t.

Including the cost of the material and an associated labour charge to account for the time spent bedding, the costs on a per ewe per day basis were as follows: ~£0.12/ewe/day for wheat straw; ~£0.10/ewe/day for barley straw; ~£0.31/ewe/day for EnviroBed; and ~£0.11/ewe/day for sawdust.

The attractiveness of alternative bedding solutions will vary from farm-to-farm and will be influenced by the availability and price of alternative products in your location. However, Liz highlighted how the farm on which the trial took place has adapted some of this work to influence bedding practices on the farm.

Although the host farm has plans to further develop slatted housing in the coming years, saw dust is being used in housing for ewe lambs and pre-lambing ewes. At the point of lambing, ewes are moved to barley straw bedded sheds. Additionally, a combination of sawdust and straw bedding is being used, with the sawdust used as a base under the straw for absorption.

For more information on this trial, listen to the podcast below: